


Cause We Don't Ever Quit

by Nyodrite



Series: Harry Potter Stuff [11]
Category: Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: (Basically Leon is a big Tortall Universe fan), (Harry is a potential Minion), (He also forced various Weasleys into friendships), (Hermione has been drafted as an Accomplice), (Leon will be Gandalf, (Like over 10 times), (it works), (that reminds me...), A dash of Hogwart Express tradition, Achie the Mysterious Mentor of Leon Who Woke Leon With A Dragon, Again- Leon makes a LOT of Note to Cedric, Alfred the Head Boy, By Order of the Pheonix Leon will have a Thief Court, Cedric Is NOT Late, Cedric has a handy-dandy notebook, Cedric has an owl named Holmes, Cedric is Aragorn and Harry is Frodo), Cedric is good at math, Cedric is his 'Right Hand', Cedric really isn't cohorent before bathing in the morning, Cedric thinks she's Shifty, Don't be a half-chewed flapjack Cedric, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them nod, Featuring: Badger Headcanons, First Day goings on, Gen, Harry and Neville are embarrassed, Harry continues his Education, Here Be Nudity, Here There WAS A Dragon, Hermione is awed by art, Hogwarts Express, Hogwarts First Year, Hufflepuff Pride, Hufflepuff Wake Up Calls, Hufflepuff!Harry, Hufflepuff!Hermione, Hufflepuff!Neville, Hufflepuffs could so take over the world, It's not against the rules according to Cedric, Leon adopted Harry as a younger sibling to mess with, Leon and Cedric are Third Years, Leon and Cedric are kind of rich, Leon asks about kinks, Leon assigns Homework, Leon breaks the 4th Wall, Leon can't resist the Hurt-Puppy look, Leon doesn't believe that the Song of the Lioness series isn't a classic, Leon doesn't like first days (or Mondays), Leon earns 29 points, Leon guessed on prices and payments but it worked out so why worry?, Leon has a crow named Karasuno, Leon is expanding his smuggling ring, Leon is going to introduce fanfiction and doujinshi to Hogwarts, Leon is not cut out to be a Tour Guide, Leon is not impressed, Leon is- technically- Harry's Big Brother, Leon isn't good with fractions or percentages, Leon just wanted a story Alfred, Leon loves speeches, Leon makes a Note to Cedric, Leon makes a lot of Notes to Cedric, Leon makes an actual note to self, Leon nicknames people after cats, Leon repeatedly uses 'Clam', Leon reveals the books he brought, Leon runs a smuggling ring, Leon still wants his story Alfred, Leon takes advice on lying from a book, Leon takes introduction ideas from Hatake Kakashi, Leon thinks Harry's like a puppy, Meeting of Clams, Much to everyone else's horror, Multiple Past Lives, Neville likes the Common Room, Omake, Reviewer Shout Out, SI/OC, Sam and Mike: Original Minions, Scribe!Hermione, Self-Indulgent, Self-Insert, Song of the Lioness is a CLASSIC- Say Nothing Cedric, That Hurt-Puppy look isn't fair Harry, The Court of Clams need an official meeting place, The Court of Clams will be the Fellowship of the Clams on Halloween, The Talk, The University of Glasgow was founded by a Hufflepuff (or something), There are Minions, Those Knuts really add up you know?, Tonks can be bribed (with what isn't mentioned), Tonks doesn't approve, Warning: A Wild TONKS Has Appeared, We find out what exactly Leon bribed Tonks with, Would You Rather, ajhsgdi PERCENTAGES!! - Leon, and name himself the Rouge, random questions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-20
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2018-08-10 00:29:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7823176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nyodrite/pseuds/Nyodrite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Excuse me- do you know which platform has the train to Hogwarts?” Leon stopped and turned to the voice- messy (like serious bedhead messy) black hair, round glasses and white owl.</p><p>Even as he started towards them the guard was asking, “Know what part of the country it’s in?”</p><p>"Er.” the boy,<em>Harry Potter</em> as in the <em>Main Character</em>, said.</p><p>Just when the guard started to lean towards annoyance, Leon reached them, wrapping an arm around Harry’s shoulder (ignoring the flinch). “Sorry, mate. Me and my cousin got separated, he knew the train would be heading towards our boarding school- he’ll be joining me at Hogwarts this year!- but not much else, we’ll be heading over to Platform 9b now.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Leon Harper: Third Year Hogwartian and Smuggler

_ Huh, _ Leon had thought when he first  _ woke _ and registered his memories of the previous five years,  _ I don’t have an siblings.  _ In all his previous lives, he’d had siblings- two each time- though ‘all’ was only two previous incarnations. His second thought was  _ I’m a  _ **_Black!?_ ** followed by a slightly disappointed,  _ And not even Sirius’. _

His mother, Alice Harper, had sat him down the previous year and told him about his father when he came from daycare and asked why he didn’t have a daddy, using phrases like  _ ‘free spirit’  _ and  _ ‘a wanderer’ _ to describe why Regulus wasn’t here. Internally, he called BS as Leon’s mother wasn’t magical, he didn’t know if she was a squib or a muggle, so he assumed that Regulus Black hooked up with her at a bar sometime during the war as a kind of stress relief because he doubted a Black would have a relationship with anyone without magic- if only because they wouldn’t cross paths often enough to do so.

He was, most likely, the result of a one night stand and never brought it up again- partially since Alice seemed to still carry a torch for Leon’s father.

That was, of course, years ago- at the moment he was a thirteen year old and he was looking for-

“Excuse me- do you know which platform has the train to Hogwarts?” Leon stopped and turned to the voice- messy (like serious bedhead messy) black hair, round glasses and white owl.

Even as he started towards them the guard was asking, “Know what part of the country it’s in?”

“Er.” the boy,  _ Harry Potter _ as in the  _ Main Character _ , said.

Just when the guard started to lean towards annoyance, Leon reached them, wrapping an arm around Harry’s shoulder (ignoring the flinch). “Sorry, mate. Me and my cousin got separated, he knew the train would be heading towards our boarding school- he’ll be joining me at Hogwarts this year!- but not much else, we’ll be heading over to Platform 9b now.”

“I don’t know a Hogwarts in Peterborough.” The guard said, eying him suspiciously.

_ If you’ve a story, make sure it’s a whole one, with details close at hand. It’s the difference between a successful lie and getting caught.  _ Leon recalled, useful advice. “Oh it’s not there exactly, it’s just where we’ll be getting off. Hogwarts’ a bit off the beaten path so we’ll be taking a bus- the school rents ‘em on the first and last day of both the year and holidays- to it.”

“And where-” the guard started.

Leon shook his head, “Sorry, mate- it’s a secret! The school’s exclusive and private, we’re not allowed to tell anyone who hasn’t gone where it is.”

_ Which, _ he mused,  _ was the truth in a way considering the Statue of Secrecy. _

“We’re gonna be late-!” Harry fretted, staring at the large clock that read  _ 10:45 _ .

He offered the man a smile, “Eleven year olds, so impatient. Later- have a nice day!” Leon called as he dragged the boy and his cart (Harry held onto his own cart so it was also pulled along) away, turning left into the 9/8 platform walkway when the crowd behind them grew big enough to obscure them from view. “Whew, thought he was going to detain us or something- maybe keep us until our folks were located.”

“Um.” Harry said as the exited to the Platform 8 side of the walkway and went left. “Thanks for that- er..”

“Name’s Leon Harper, third year Hogwartian.” Leon told the eleven year old as they passed bathrooms. “Don’t mention it- same thing happened to me when I was a first year, mum’s a Muggle so we didn’t know where to go.”

“Harry Potter.” the boy said then immediately asked, as if to forestall any reaction, “I thought Hagrid just forgot to tell me but if you also-...”

Leon shrugged, “I asked Cedric, his family’s the one who helped me, and apparently it’s an old law from the Witch Burning era since some muggle-borns turned around and told a bunch of people how to get to the Platform- people died when the mob showed up, youngest was a toddler. So muggle-raised kids aren’t told how to get on beforehand, they’re supposed to find their way but some families patrol both Platform 9a and 9b to help out- the Diggorys, Longbottoms, Lovegoods and Weasleys to name a few. One- two shops then here, just through this wall.” He finished stopping before the wall.

“ _ Through  _ the wall?” Harry asked, incredulous and he applaud himself on his sense of timing- now the boy wouldn’t ask why  _ he _ was hanging around the other ‘9’ platforms if there were families for that sort of thing.

“Of course!” Leon grinned, thinking of  _ his _ first time getting onto the platform (sure he’d read about it but there’s something unnerving running into a wall), and unceremoniously dragged the boy through the wall at a run.

Harry Potter, Boy-Who-Lived and Destroyer of Voldemort, screamed. It was amusingly high-pitched.

_ I believe, _ Leon thought as he prodded the boy into opening his eyes to see they were  _ fine _ and people were starting to stare,  _ I found a little sibling to torment.  _ “Let’s find a seat!” He said aloud and a red-faced Harry immediately started hurrying to the train, this time Leon was the one dragged.

They eventually wound up in an empty compartment around the later middle-end, which was Third Year territory, of the train. Harry was the one to start speaking first, “You’re a third year- what’s Hogwarts like? What house are you in?”

“Well, it’s large and easy to get lost in- I won’t say anything else since it’d ruin the surprise.” Leon said, thinking back to the feeling he had when he first crossed the lake and saw the castle. “I’m a Hufflepuff.”

“But you don’t seem like a duffer!” Harry blurted then sorely wished he hadn’t. “I- I mean-”

He, who had two years to get used to the House-based name calling, waved the kid off. “S’fine, every House has their own insult; Hufflepuff gets ‘duffer’, Ravenclaw are ‘bookworms’, Gryffindors are ‘morons’ or to the more morbid ‘cannon fodder’ and Slytherins are ‘evil’ or ‘slimy’. Doesn’t mean that’s everything about the house.”

“And Hufflepuff?” Harry eventually asked.

“The best House- being brave, smart and cunning are all good qualities to have but what’s  _ really _ important is loyalty.” Leon said. “First day we Hufflepuffs are told this:  _ We are tolerant, we are hard workers, we strive for kindness and fairness- this is true. To say we are afraid to fight, that is a lie- we are simply patient and tolerant enough to wait for something worth fighting for. Above all, we are loyal; to harm one is to harm all, we will defend ours at all costs...We are one House, one Clan, and we help each other in any way we can, from this day forward you will  _ **_never_ ** _ be alone- that is what it means to be a _ Hufflepuff.” 

Harry looked a bit wide-eyed but Cedric, whom had arrived while he was quoting the speech, said. “Trying to convert first years, now? What would Ms. Harper say?”

“There no kind of advertising like self advertising.” Leon said, who's mom owned a small café (that he’d insisted be called the ‘Lucky Cat Café’), immediately while Harry jerked at the voice. “That’s my roomie and Platform guide, Cedric Diggory. This is my new minion, Harry Potter.”

“ _ Potter? _ ” Cedric asked then, when the eleven year old shrunk into himself, said. “Huh, well someone has to be it. Nice to meet you- how’d you get sucked into ‘minion’ status?”

“Er.” Harry said while the third year took a seat next to Leon. “ _ Minion _ ?”

The pure-blood nodded. “Yeah. See, first year Leon started a book-smuggling ring sometime after Christmas holidays since the library doesn’t have fiction-”

“Which I still say is a horrid, terrible crime.” He put in, still irritated since it had been an entire hobby lost- sure reading about magic was interesting but it wasn’t  _ fun _ .

Cedric, having had to do this explanation last year, ignored him. “-and roped me into it as his ‘right hand’ since my owl, Holmes, could carry bigger packages then his raven, Karasuno, could. Second year he drafted in others- to also use their owls- as he decided to move beyond our roommates to the entire house, they were ‘minions’. I’m assuming you ‘minion’ status means he’s recruiting you.”

“Indeed.” Leon said, briefly debating lacing his fingers together before deciding that seemed to villainous. “See-”

The compartment door slid open, a girl (who he assumed was Hermione by the bushy-ness of her hair) and boy (who he guessed was Neville by virtue of wandering into strange compartments with probably!Hermione) leaned in, the girl asking. “Has anyone seen a toad? Neville’s lost one.”

“No but Cedric’s an overachiever.” Leon said.

“So I read ahead, that doesn’t make me an overachiever- I just want to know what to expect to learn during the year.” Cedric told him even as he pulled out his wand. “ _ Accio  _ Neville’s toad.” A beat and, just when he was thinking of making a joke about performance issues, a toad came zooming over the two first years heads- Cedric, seeker that he was, caught the thing before offering it to Neville. “Here.”

“What  _ was _ that?” Definitely!Hermione asked, unceremoniously taking a seat next to Harry who kind of scooted away- making room for Neville to perch at the edge. “Obviously some kind of summoning spell, but is there any specific restrictions- does it have a range of how far something can be for you to summon it? It’s it size specific and won’t work if over a certain size? Maybe weight specific? Is it designed to summon  _ living _ things or can it be used for anything?”

“Where do you keep all that air?” Leon wondered. 

Cedric took the time to answer. “Not sure about a limit to range but I know it can be used to at least up to 2 kilometers away, it’s an all purpose spell so there aren’t really any restrictions beyond if whatever you’re summoning is specifically spelled against being summoned and how well the caster can, well,  _ cast _ the spell.”

“Now!” Leon said to stave off another spew of word-vomit, absently waving off the trolley lady. “Let’s introduce ourselves- names, likes, dislikes and House, or the House you want to go in I suppose. Oldest first!”

Part of him wondered if he should feel bad about press-ganging a then eleven year old into friendship simply because he was the only one Leon had- kinda- knew in Hufflepuff but shrugged it off, with any luck- and maybe deliberate injury- his friend would survive to become a Seventh Year. “My name is Cedric Diggory. I like flying, I dislike flying in bad weather and I’m a Hufflepuff. Neville?”

“Oh!” Neville jerked, squeezing his toad enough that it let out a croak in protest. “M-my name is, um, Neville Longbottom. I, uh, like plants and I  _ really _ don’t like heights. I, well, I don’t-...my dad was in Gryffindor..?” the boy offered. “Uh, Hermione?”

“My name is Hermione Jane Granger.” the lone girl said. “I like reading and learning in general, I don’t like bullies.” She said it firmly, with air of someone who’d dealt with bullies before. “I, well, I suppose I would like to be in Gryffindor- Professor Dumbledore was there and it’s apparently the best House.”

“That’s a matter of opinion- Gryffindor are generally the ones in the spotlight so you hear about them a lot.” Leon told her. “Your turn Harry.”

Harry said, “I’m Harry Potter-”

“Really?” Hermione immediately asked. “I know all about you, of course- I got a few extra books. For background reading and you're in Modern Magical History-”

Leon tapped her forehead and she went silent, blinking in bewilderment. “ _ Bad _ , Hermione. It’s not nice to interrupt an introduction. Harry, continue.”

“Er, right. I’m Harry Potter.” the boy restarted. “I like my owl, Hedwig and I don’t like dogs. I, um, don’t really know what House I want to be in...Leon?”

“Leon Harper, third year Hufflepuff. I don’t like being cold, insects, spicy food, pumpkin juice or traffic- I  _ hate _ traffic, it’s horrible and boring.” Leon told them. “I like soft things, animals (especially those with fur), chocolate, watermelon, apple juice and reading. Speaking of, back to earlier of my smuggling ring and your ‘Minion’ recruitment Harry.”

“ _ Smuggling! _ ” Hermione shrieked.

He let Cedric, the responsible one, placate her. “It’s not against the rules- I checked with Professor Sprout when he named me his ‘Right Hand’. He was just irritated over the library’s lack of fiction so asked him mum to send over some books that he then leant out to our roommates then to the entire House in second year. Minions are just what he calls the people who help him.”

“Anyways.” Leon said. “This year I was thinking about branching out beyond the classics.”

“ _ Song of the Lioness _ isn’t a classic.” Cedric deadpanned.

Leon, whose love for the Tortall Universe carried over from his first life, said. “Blasphemy. Sacrilege. How could you say such a thing? I thought we were  _ friends _ .”

“We are.” Cedric said, sounding as if he wondered why exactly they were. “But the last book of the series came out in ‘88 and that’s not long enough to ear ‘classic’ status.”

“ _ Blasphemy _ .” Leon repeated, with vehemence.

Harry interrupted, which was just as well because things might have degraded into hexes. “How does it work? What books do you have?”

“From first and second year I have the  _ Song of the Lioness  _ quartet by Tamora Pierce, the  _ Chronicles of Narnia _ series by C.S. Lewis,  _ Watership Down _ by Richard Adams,  _ The Little Prince _ by Antoine de Saint-Exupery along with  _ The Hobbit _ ,  _ The Lord of the Rings _ trilogy,  _ The Silmarillion  _ and  _ The History of Middle-Earth _ series by J.R.R. Tolkien. That’s twenty-six individual books.” Leon said.  “This year’s books I’m keeping a surprise but there are fourteen books in total.”

“Any series?” Cedric wondered.

He thought then said, “Not really. How it works is this; I keep the originals and rent out magical copies for a week (that’s when the spell breaks down and the copy disappears) at a standard rate of 16 Knuts. I sell actual book copies at varying rates- it depends on the cost of the book for my mom to buy- but nothing over 16 Sickles. Those part of the ring profit, of course. Minions get 1 Knut per rented book and 5 - 15 Knuts per bought book. Cedric and I get 2 Knuts per rented and 10 Knuts - 1 Sickle per bought book.” He explained then said, “I’m thinking of tweaking it a bit.”

“Tweaking?” his friend asked warily.

Leon nodded. “I know Hufflepuff House has things set up to continue/start a student’s muggle education by way of Homeschooling (kind of), so I was thinking of having a survey of nonfiction topics- math, science, history, technology and the like- to act as supplementary reading for muggle lessons and a way to introduce the strictly magic-raised students into muggle schooling without them being intimidated by the thought of extra classes. Actually, we don’t even  _ touch _ on Physical Education…”

He wouldn’t have even thought about it if Hinata Hana hadn’t been dragged into practicing volleyball with her brother so often in his previous life but now that he  _ had _ he was hit by the fact that Quidditch was really the only extra curricular activity at Hogwarts. “Or art or music or really anything beyond the core subjects and technology- though that might fall under History I suppose. Let’s see...sports equipment and rulebooks should be easy enough to get, so can art supplies like colored pencils, crayons, markers and paint are also easy but proper tools for things like carving and sculpting will be difficult….Hufflepuff already has cooking covered but what about sewing, knitting or weaving?”

“My mum has lots of copies of different plays,” Hermione butted in and Leon started a bit since he had forgotten his audience, more thinking aloud. “I can ask her to send her some extras over when I owl her.”

“We could put on a play! You’re brilliant Hermione, let no one say differently. Ced-” He told her turned to his friend and blinked when he found the teen taking notes.

Cedric didn’t look up. “Incase you forget anything.”

“Well, alright then.” Leon said, returning to his train of thought. “Since your taking my notes to self, Cedric, make sure to add ‘interview craftsmen/tradesmen in Hogsmeade’ this made me think of an idea that’d be awesome for the future- especially muggle-borns. Back on topic: music. Instruments- good ones anyways- can be expensive, so maybe two of each and we can magically copy them or ask Prof. McGonagall to transfigure some- though who knows what that will sound like. No I think copies would be best,  I'll ask mom about the prices  and we can make a 'order form' based on that for anyone whom wants an actual instrument- though it might be best to make an actual booklet on things we offer and their prices. As for the actual instruments, I was thinking flutes, harmonica, ocarina, trumpet and clarinet- I also want saxophones, guitars, lutes, violins, cellos and the ukulele seems cool but I might have to bring them with me on the train after holidays. I really want a piano- a full on grand piano but I've got no idea how we'd get that over to Hogwarts. Any recommendations on music, Hermione?”

Hermione, the only one of the first years who  _ didn’t _ seem dazed, blinked but answered. "It depends on what you have in mind- just solo and small groups or something like an orchestra?”

“All of the above?” He shrugged. “People will want to practice, some will want to just play with friends but I’m sure we can get enough to do an ensemble- if only to accompany a play.”

“Well, you can’t go wrong with the classics so people like Beethoven and Mozart. You’ll want the music sheets for incidental music too if it’s to go with a play-  _ The Winter's Tale, Hamlet, King Henry IV Part 1, The Tempest _ and _ A Midsummer Night's Dream _ by William Shakespeare to be specific.” Hermione said. “Film Scores of popular movies like  _ Star Wars _ or  _ Fantasia _ .”

“ _ Brilliant _ .” Leon said again. “Back to sport. I was thinking badminton, tennis, football, volleyball, baseball, dodgeball, swimming, dance, racing (maybe we can have a triathlon or relay race involving swimming, running and flying?), handball, field hockey and various forms of 'tag'. We'd have to work it out with the teachers but maybe climbing- rock or tree- and hiking, maybe even camping. And something with flying disks! That way flyers- whether they be broom-riders or animal- can participate. In that way we can also do something like hunting, I'm sure there are rodents around to use- if not we can ask Prof. McGonagall to transfigure some.”

_ Parkour, free running, self defense _ . He didn’t say but thought. “Anyways, Neville and Hermione- you are hereby banished. We’re just about to enter the station and we need to get robed up.”

It wasn’t until first Hermione then Neville then finally Harry were sorted into Hufflepuff that Leon realized he may have just wreaked Canon and thought,  _ Huston, we may have a problem. _


	2. Morning: Inwhich Harry Potter Gets Hot, Bothered and Wet- Not Necessarily In That Order

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _ Cute, _ Leon thought as he looked at the sleeping eleven year old.  _ A bit like a puppy. Or my cub, I suppose.  _ He corrected, mind going back to last night.
> 
> Harry had been wide-eyed in interest over the idea of not only a secret entrance but also a defense to it, Neville had been appreciative over the common room and it’s plants but Hermione was  _ awed _ by the portrait of Helga Hufflepuff- he was certain that if she could have, she would have written down everything said. Leon loved a good speech, something about them gave him goosebumps (Note to self: Figure out when Goosebumps came out, add them to the Ring) and made him want to go and  _ do _ , and he could, with possibly a lot of bias, admit that their Founder’s First Day speech was one of his favorites;

_ Cute, _ Leon thought as he looked at the sleeping eleven year old.  _ A bit like a puppy. Or my cub, I suppose.  _ He corrected, mind going back to last night.

Harry had been wide-eyed in interest over the idea of not only a secret entrance but also a defense to it, Neville had been appreciative over the common room and it’s plants but Hermione was  _ awed _ by the portrait of Helga Hufflepuff- he was certain that if she could have, she would have written down everything said. Leon loved a good speech, something about them gave him goosebumps (Note to self: Figure out when Goosebumps came out, add them to the Ring) and made him want to go and  _ do _ , and he could, with possibly a lot of bias, admit that their Founder’s First Day speech was one of his favorites;

_ “Welcome.”  _ The first speech started off, warm and welcoming.  _ “I know what others say of us, I am aware of their opinions and how they tend to base how they interact with the House on that…”  _ Then it became sad and sorrow-filled, as if the speaker were grieving.  _ “So I must ask you to do something for me, it will hard- it might be the most difficult thing you will do but I have faith that you will all be able to rise to meet the challenge.”  _ It changed to firm and encouraging.  _ “I ask you this...when they call you talentless, I ask that you congratulate them on their achievements. When they tell you that you’re rejects, that you were put here because you couldn’t make it anywhere else, I ask that you be patient with them because it is not their fault for being misinformed. When they call you slow, or an idiot or even a ‘duffer’, I ask that you take it with a smile so you may focus on your studies. Most of all, I ask that you forgive the ones whom insult you in their ignorance.” _

There was a pause to let that settle before the tone became fierce and protective.  _ “This does not mean I ask that you sit back and allow others to attack you. No, you are a Badger now and we badgers protect our own.”  _ It was said with a kind of possessive protectiveness that was echoed in a rumbling murmur of every veteran Hufflepuff.  _ “We are tolerant, we are hard workers, we strive for kindness and fairness- this is true. To say we are afraid to fight, that is a lie- we are simply patient and tolerant enough to wait for something worth fighting for. Above all, we are loyal; to harm one is to harm all, we will defend ours at all costs.”  _ It was said like a promise, though if others were present it could have been a treat.

_“This is what it means to be a Badger. This is our home, our family, our House- our_ Clan _and_ ** _it is worth protecting_** _.”_ Here you could tell that the speech was coming to an end though that didn’t make it any less powerful. _“We are one House, one Clan, and we help each other in any way we can, from this day forward you will_ ** _never_** _be alone-_ that _is what it means to be a_ Hufflepuff _.”_

Then came the prefect speeches which, while not as good, were amusing on the principle that Alfred was Head Boy.

_ “Now that our Founder has given us her speech on what it means to be a Hufflepuff,”  _ the Head Boy had started.  _ “It’s time for us to tell you all the boring little details- like how, more often then not, firsties are referred to as ‘cubs’ and the common room as the ‘sett’.” _

Mary, the female prefect, had hit him,  _ “It’s important so take it seriously.” _

_ “Alright- geesh woman, how are you not a beater?”  _ Alfred had asked while rubbing his arm.  _ “Okay. First thing, you’ve seen how to get into the Sett but just to remind you; barrel two from bottom, middle of second row, you tap ‘Helga Hufflepuff’- that’s two-three. Got it, tap two-three on barrel two from bottom and middle of the second row? If you’re not sure, ask an upper year to do it- nothing ruins your day like being soaked with vinegar.” _

Mary had took over then,  _ “See those circular doors, they lead off to the dorms, bathrooms and such. Left is boys, right is girls- if you’re confused then look for the badger carvings, they hold a small plate that says ‘Boar’ or ‘Sow’. ‘Boar’ is for boys and ‘Sow’ is for girls.” _

_ “We’re all about badger references here,”  _ Alfred had said.  _ “Boar, Clan, Cub, Sett and Sow- male, House, firstie, common room and female. We Hufflepuffs are an odd bunch- other houses have their messes cleaned up by House-elves but we pick up after ourselves. In winter and summer it’s even done entirely by hand rather then with magic to help! We’re also the only ones who do our own laundry, don’t worry if you don’t know how because your mentor will assist you- our lovely Den Momma will be explaining mentors so sit tight.” _

_ “We believe in hard work and in being pragmatic- most of us won’t have our very own house-elf to take care of us when we graduate so we best learn these things now when we have someone to show us how to do it right.”  _ Mary had told them.  _ “Now, other Houses tend to have six prefects- two for each year from fifth on, including the Head Boy/Girl- but  _ we  _ always have seven, this is so that each day we can make sure a prefect is available at certain times for students here in the Sett- these times are twice a day for the duration of an hour. This is so students can ask for help; tutoring (yes we even do session on writing with a quill for those who’ve never done so before), advice on which electives to choose based on which career you want to pursue,  how to continue (or start) your muggle education, other common household spells you want to know (including cooking) and even explaining the changes your body goes through as you age if you’re too embarrassed to go to parents or a teacher.” _

_ “  _ That  _ one’s a doozy.”  _ Alfred had added with a grimace.  _ “But we  _ will  _ answer if you come out and ask- though questions on, um, ‘adult activities’ are something only seventh years will answer, we do have a mandatory session on that for Third years but there’s always some who have questions on things not covered so we do that also.”  _ Piercing a couple of sixth years with a scowl he had added,  _ “This will be your jobs come next year.” _

Mary had quirked a smile when the sixth years fell silent and paled.  _ “Our fifth year prefects, we happen to have three, will be in the Sett from Wednesday to Friday, in the mornings during seven and in the afternoons during three. Our sixth years, only two, will be here on Tuesday and Sunday at seven in the mornings and five in the afternoon. Seventh years, just us here, will be here on Monday and Saturday at seven in the morning and four in the afternoon. Remember it’s for a whole hour- though some may decided to stay longer if they don’t have any other responsibilities- and if there are any changes- like when exams come around- we will post the new schedule in the Sett along with telling our Founder who you can ask.” _

_ “Right, this is the last thing on our list before we give the reigns over to Den Momma.”  _ Alfred had said.  _ “While we have showers like every other House, we Hufflepuffs also have a communal bath (still segregated by genders, of course) that we use more- showers tend to be for if you’re running late or managed to get dirty during the day. If you’re shy you can wear a towel and if it is that much of an issue you can ask to be provided with a bathing costume, most are fine with it by third year though- but _ there is  **no** shame _ if you are uncomfortable, if it’s truly something you cannot stomach (though we ask you at least try) then you are free to use the showers only.” _

Alfred had been both kind and serious when he said it and you could tell how he became Head Boy.  _ “A quick run through on bathing; they are open from 5:00 - 8:00 in both the morning and evening, you’ll want to take both your clothes and your school things with you, the temperature rises the closer you get to the bath, there are cubbies with wooden boxes (numbered for convenience and spelled to remain dry) for you to place your things, bathing stuff (towels, soap, rags and all that stuff) is available in waterproof boat-shaped trays that are spelled to follow you in the water, there’s also a place for your dirty clothes there and will have your name stitched into it in black writing (they’re yellow so it’s hard to miss), the water we bathe in is warm/hot and is spelled to always remain clean- as is the lukewarm/cool water used after to rinse off.” _

He had paused a moment before adding,  _ “Here’s why bathing is popular: A) it’s where you’ll have to go anyways to put your dirty clothes. B) There is a passage that goes on to exit near the Great Hall connected to it, boys and girls’ bathes both lead there so you can walk to breakfast with friends regardless of gender after you bathe in the morning. C) It’s a bonding experience with fellow Hufflepuffs, we seventh years tell you stories about ourselves and ones we heard through our years- some have been passed down orally since the Founders Era!” _

_ “I only add that First, Fifth and Seventh years almost always shower in the mornings.”  _ Mary had finished.  _ “With nothing else, we give it over to our Head of House.” _

After Prof. Sprout had handed out the bracelets and charms she had told the first years about Mentors, which had Harry sending him a big-eyed (it was as if those glasses acted a magnifying glasses!), pleading look. Third years aren’t generally Mentors, it was generally Fourth and Sixth Years (Third were getting used to new schedules while Fifth and Seventh were taking exams), but Leon had always been weak to the ‘hurt-puppy’ look.

_ Dammit.  _ At least he corralled Cedric into being Neville’s mentor and bribery had Tonks agreeing to be Hermione’s even if she  _ was _ a Seventh Year. Speaking of-

“You’re  _ late _ .” Leon told his friend lowly as he entered the First Year dorm, the pure-blood was the last Mentor to arrive.

‘Am not’ Cedric mouthed as the mentors all raised their wands in union a beat then their wands moved; one student was doused in water, one had their mattress flip them out of bed, one was dragged out of bed by the ankle, one had their blanket transfigured into a crowing rooster, Neville was hit with a tickling charm and Harry was attacked by his pillows.

It wasn’t precisely a Hufflepuff Tradition except, well, it  _ was _ . As Mentors they were charged with waking their cub in the morning, making sure they ate breakfast and made it to their first class (for those whom bathed in the morning, it was also where they made sure their charge got cleaned)- Firsties were notoriously hard to wake. Which lead to mentors finding creative ways to wake their cub and by the time the Firstie became old enough to be a mentor, they jumped at the chance to pay the wake up calls forward to the next generation.

Leon’s mentor liked make illusionary creatures attack him, complete with sound effects- nothing really wakes you like a roaring dragon.

“Get your day clothes and school things- don’t worry about textbooks- then follow me.” Leon told Harry, Cedric mirroring him though the other mentors had their cubs get dressed and bring their things- evidently they were bathing at night.

Harry made a noise as they were walking into the bath area’s ‘locker room’. “‘Temperature rises the closer you get’.”

“Exactly.” He said, then pulled out two wooden boxes (7 and 8) from the cubby wall. “Put your things in there then put it back in the wall.” Leon told Harry (seeing Cedric get numbers 13 and 14) as he handed over No. 8 then put his thing in No. 7 before putting it away. He waited until Harry was done then pointed to the opposite wall- it was like the cubby wall only with yellow hampers that had names in black on them. “Your dirty clothes go into the one with your name, first years are all ground level and your level rises with each year- Seventh Years are the top row.”

Harry turned to ask him something, already pulling the hamper bearing ‘Harry Potter’ in neat letters, and squeaked, turning red. Leon paused in putting his hamper back in place before turning when Neville made his own mortified noise and didn’t see anything concerning, the only other person present was Cedric-

Who was naked. Like Leon was naked.  _ Oh _ . He thought, recalling the typical firstie reaction to public nudity even in bathing- he hadn’t had the typical reaction as a firstie since Hinata Hana had gone to bathhouses. He got towels, tossing one to his friend before wrapping one around his waist, putting his wand in his boat (it was a simple one with only plain soap, shampoo and washrag).

Things proceeded quickly from there, the first years wanting to hurry up and bathe so they could put clothes on again, and they were sinking into the water within minutes.

Alfred the Head Boy was there along with three others, earlier 6:00 in the morning wasn’t a popular time to bathe but it was a good wake up and a habit earned from his mentor Archie who’d preferred the time, and the lone seventh year smiled at them. “Ah,  _ there’s _ some of our cubs- Harry and Neville, yeah? How was your morning?”

The blond laughed at the faces the first years made at the memory and Leon offered, “Neville was tickled and Harry attacked by pillows.”

“My mentor woke me by transfiguring my pillows and blankets into puppies- Mikey’s banished his blankets, pillows  _ and _ mattress.” Sam Summerby, one of his minions, said nodding to Mike Summers, another minion. “I’m Sam.”

“ _ My _ mentor transfigured me into a cat,  _ then _ doused me with water.” Alfred told them. “I still say Leon’s waking was best.”

At the curious looks he said, “I was attacked by animals, it was all illusions but there’s nothing quite like waking to an angry dragon. Cedric was tickled by an army of feathers- they followed him for an hour, it was  _ awesome _ . Anyways,” Leon said before his friend could argue. “What story are you gonna tell, Alfred?”

“How about  _ you _ tell us about your stories? What books are you adding to your ‘Ring’?” Alfred asked.

Leon blinked, making use of his light blue eyes and smattering of freckles to look more innocent. “Ring? I don’t know what you’re talking about. You may like to know that Harry, Neville and Hermione are joining the-” He cast wildly for a name and ended up with, “Clam Guild.”

_ Huh, _ He thought,  _ KHR reference, 2 points. _

“ _ Clam _ ?” Cedric sputtered. “Where’d you even-”

_ Make that 5 points. _

“We’re not a guild.” Cedric eventually got out.

“Fine. How about the Fellowship of the Clams?” Leon offered then rapid shot out. “Or the League of Extraordinary Clams? Fullmagic Clam Brotherhood? Dead Clams Society? Organization Clam? Our Own Hogwarts Clam Club?”

_ That last one wasn’t that good, _ He admitted inwardly.  _ But that was Lord of the Rings, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, FMA Brotherhood, Dead Poets Society, KH2 and OHSHC- that’s 12 points plus an additional 12 for the repeated KHR references. Total: 29 points. Not bad for a morning. _

“I vote for the League!” Mike said.

Sam piped up with, “Fellowship.”

“Well, we’re Something-Clam.” Leon told the Head Boy while Cedric seemed to be trying to quietly drown himself to no avail thanks to the safety charms in place. “I’ve brought fourteen additional books though they aren’t all classics like previous year-  _ say nothing Cedric, Song of the Lioness is  _ **_classic!_ ** \- they go beyond the main Fantasy genre. There are plans on expanding but the Court of Clams-  _ that’s the one!  _ We’re keeping the name- will need to have a meeting first before I can say anything concrete but The Trust has over 500 Galleons even after Cedric wasted over 100 Galleons-”

“I bought a new broom for luck! I’m trying for the Quidditch team this year.” Cedric protested. “It’s not like I  _ knew _ you’d want to expand like  _ this _ \- I was expecting other Houses not a full on business!”

The others were gaping, “ _ 500 Galleons!? _ ”

“Over 560 Galleons.” Leon corrected absently, thinking about expanding beyond the House and including board games- he’ll have to bring it up at the Meeting of Clams (he had a feeling someone will end up trying to kill him over it but adding ‘clam’ was too amusing to resist). “I know Knuts don’t seem like a lot but if you save them, they add up.”

Which was the truth- over 560 Galleons was over 5,600 dollars and over 4,100 Euros.

“Though, adding what Mom’s cut was set aside for buying books, it over 860 Galleons. Anyway.” He said, refocusing. “We’ll need a meeting but our treasury full enough that I don’t think we’ll run into any problems beyond working out the logistics, so I’ll call a meeting Denma, the Lady, you and the prefects within a week. I’m aiming for post-dinner on Wednesday..?”

Cedric nodded, “Tonks and us will be getting our cubs into the swing of things but a meeting should be fine tomorrow so a Wednesday report would be doable.”

“It’s decided.” Leon declared then looked at Alfred. “Now, story time.”

The seventeen year old smiled, “No can do, it’s about time for Muggle Lessons so we  _ all _ need to get out.”

“You-” Leon gapped then glared. “I  _ will _ get that story before the week’s out.”

The blond just looked amused, “I’m sure you will. Now, scram- you’re getting wrinkly.”


	3. Monday: In Which Leon is the Wizard and Cedric is a King of Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _ First days _ , Leon thought as he tugged Harry to a corner in the common room.  _ Are horrid- especially when it’s a Monday _ .
> 
> “Right!” He said once they sat. “I already know you’ve had a Muggle Education, the question is- do you want to continue it? First, know that it's not mandatory- you can ignore your Muggle Education as, while there has been some noise to extend it to 16, the age for compulsory Muggle Education is 10. There are benefits on having a Muggle and Magical Education though, one being you aren’t restricted to one world or the other.”Now, again I ask- do you want to continue your Muggle Education?”

_ First days _ , Leon thought as he tugged Harry to a corner in the common room.  _ Are horrid- especially when it’s a Monday _ .

“Right!” He said once they sat. “I already know you’ve had a Muggle Education, the question is- do you want to continue it? First, know that it's not mandatory- you can ignore your Muggle Education as, while there has been some noise to extend it to 16, the age for compulsory Muggle Education is 10. There are benefits on having a Muggle and Magical Education though, one being you aren’t restricted to one world or the other.”

“Maybe renting prices are better in the Wizarding World but the Muggle World’s job market is more appealing- either because it pays more or there are more positions for you to apply for.” Leon offered when the boy looked a bit confused. “Continuing your Muggle Education now will make it easier to slip back into the Muggle World once you graduate- perhaps you’ll want to go to a university, trying to catch up  _ then _ will be difficult. Now, again I ask- do you want to continue your Muggle Education?”

Leon looked around the room while Harry thought, a little bit away Neville seemed to be agreeing to try out Muggle Education and Hermione was in a heated debate with Tonks- 

“I’ll do it.” Harry finally said. “I want to continue.”

“Right.” He nodded, “I’ll add you to the list, don’t worry about it- we’re not going to do anything until we’ve got a copy of your transcripts to work out a Muggle Education curriculum for you. Know that first, fourth, sixth and seventh years take Muggle Exams. During the last month at Hogwarts groups will take Portkeys to the University of Glasgow for testing- it a bit of a vacation once it’s over since we have a three days. Firsties go with their mentors, Fourth years with Sixth years and Seventh years go solo. Now go over to Mary, she’s the prefect who gave a speech last night with Alfred, to start learning how to use a quill.”

Twenty minutes later, Leon turned to Cedric. “I  _ hate _ percentages.”

“You don’t have to do it.” the pure-blood said calmly, not looking up from his worksheet (it was focused on multiplying with decimals).

Leon scoffed, “Mum wants me to got to college- me promising to a year or two after Hogwarts was the only reason she allowed me to come.”

“Then do it.” Cedric told him.

He huffed but refocused on the problem, muttering to himself as he worked. “20 percent of 96. So 25 over 100 times 96 over 1 equals- five, ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty-five, 30 so 0 carry the 3 and fifty minus five is 45 plus 3 is 48 so 480. Then 2 carry the 1, 18 plus 1 is 19 so 192 plus 480-”

“You forgot the zero place holder.” Cedric interrupted him.

He glanced at the entire problem, saw he was treating it as two  _ and _ five times ninety-six instead of twenty-five times ninety-six. “ _ Dammit.  _ I  **hate** fractions. I hate percentages. Just general hatred for math right now. _ Okay _ . So it’s 1,920 plus 480 which is- zero, zero carry the one, four carry the one, one plus one- 2,400. 2,400/100. Take away the zeros- 24/1 equals 24. So 20 percent of 96 is 24.” Leon waited a beat to see if he was corrected but the sixth year tutoring them only smiled so he slammed his pencil down on the worksheet and cheered. “Yes! Finished!” 

“And it only took you an hour.” Cedric hummed, handing over his  _ second _ worksheet over to the tutor before standing.

Leon made a face, “Shut up. I suck at percents and fractions- give me square roots and exponents any time. Or, better yet, like terms and simplifying. Percents and fractions  _ suck _ .”

“How’d you even work out who gets what percent of the profit for the books?” Cedric wondered.

“...oh look! The quill lesson’s done!” He said before hurrying to Harry who had been besieged by Hermione, Neville awkwardly standing next to them.

Confession: Leon didn’t work out percentages. He guessed on what seemed doable payment compared to the amount purchased, how many it was split between and what goes to buying copies. If he hadn’t instituted the ‘no buying a copy the first six months’ rule and forcing repeated payments to rent the books then it’s likely things wouldn’t have worked out so well.

“Now! Onward to breakfast!” Leon called, interrupting the conversation (something about hygiene) and dragging Harry back to the dorm area.

Harry, who now seemed resigned to being manhandled, spoke when they entered the tunnel that lead to the bathe area. “Why go back this way when the entrance is closer?”

“This way exits near the Great Hall which we need to be by 8:30 to get out class schedules.” Leon answered. “First day’s are unique like that since we  _ have _ to be in the Great Hall during breakfast, otherwise our days would be bathing, Muggle/Quill lesson, breakfast in the kitchens then heading off to class. You’ll be having you Muggle lessons in the morning while I do since I’m your mentor but second year and on it’ll be your responsibility to figure out how to adapt your lessons around you Hogwarts schedule if you  _ don’t _ want them in the mornings.”

“Why mornings?” Harry asked.

He turned into the small pathway that forked from the ‘locker room’-bath pathway before answering. “My mentor, Archie, took his lessons at night, the hour before dinner started so that’s when I took them as a first year. I didn’t like it, having a lesson after what I considered the ‘end of classes’ plus it was the time I preferred doing homework, so I switched it. The first part of second year I had them during lunch but eventually switched over to the mornings with Cedric- breakfast is kind of like an award for getting it done plus it means I’m awake when I’m learning magic. You  _ really _ don’t want to be casting or brewing when you’re half-asleep. Shiftpaw!”

“Wotcher Lion.” Tonks greeted, glancing back at him then, louder, “WOTCHER SUNSHINE!”

The echo was impressive, the barely visible crowd ahead of them even turned to look.

“Hermione-” Leon greeted before suddenly Neville and Cedric were  _ there _ , the third year staring at the seventh year with a vaguely disapproving expression. “There’s no need to yell, Shifty.”

“Shiftpaw? Lion? Sunshine? Shifty?” Hermione questioned. “What kind of nicknames are those?”

In union Cedric said, “Leon’s.” while Tonks pointed.

“It’s supposed to be Shiftpaw, Lionpaw and Sunpaw.” Leon explained, he’d always been fond of the Warrior cats names. “But they prefer Lion, Sunshine and Shifty or Leo, Sunny and Shifter. Shiftpaw refused to let me use her first name so I refused to let her use mine, things happened and now there are nicknames- though generally just around Shiftpaw. It’s others also.”

“Basically people Lion likes.” Tonks said. “His ‘minions’ Mike, Scott and Sam are Spikepaw, Toughpaw and Quickpaw. Lady Hufflepuff is Loyalstar and Den Mum is Denstar- that or Denma.”

“The headmaster is Owlstar, the Transfiguration teacher is Changestar, the Charms teacher is Brightstar, the nurse is Healthstar and, for some reason, the potions teacher is Darkstar.” Cedric rattled off. “Plus there are the Weasleys. Bill and Charlie became Skyheart and Wildpelt when they graduated but Percy is Proudpaw and the twins are jointly Fire-Redpaw.”

Leon waited a beat before saying, “I think Neville should be Leafkit.”

“For that reaction to the common room? Yeah, I see that.” Tonks said. “Hermione should be Inkkit then, you wouldn’t  _ believe _ the amount of books she’s read since learning she was a witch.”

Neville, surprisingly, was the one to offer a suggestion. “I think Harry should be Swiftkit, he moved really fast when- uhh…”

Tonks eyed the red first year then laughed. “The nakedness get to you? Hermione was the same- refused to get undressed until she had a towel and  _ I _ held a towel to block her from view. She did better once in the water though.”

“...acted like it was  _ normal _ …” their cubs murmured to each other, falling a bit behind them.

“I didn’t even get a story.” Leon complained as the exited the tunnel into the halls through the wall not unlike the Platform’s.

Cedric expanded, “Alfred asked about the smuggling ring- apparently we’re the Court of Clams now- and that took up all our time. We’re meeting after dinner tomorrow also, Alfred said third years are having a meeting after dinner today.”

“Huh, wonder what that is?” Leon said. “But! Halloween! We finally have enough people for a full set! Harry can be Frodo, Neville can be Sam and Hermione can be Merry!”

“You still want to be Gandalf?” Tonks asked and he nodded as they entered the Great Hall. “Then we’re set.”

Cedric asked when they sat, “Do I have to be Aragorn?”

“Don’t be a half-chewed flapjack, Cedric.” Leon told him, piling bacon, eggs, toast and pancakes onto his plate and grabbing a cup of apple juice. “You’re a King of Man at heart- I got 10 Galleons on you to make Head Boy.”

“Betting,” Denma tsked and he turned to find her behind him but she was smiling. “I suppose I can’t fault your faith in your friend, your schedules.”

Cedric grabbed them and passed them out, leaning to pass three to Hermione for her to distribute between the first years. “I got Runes after breakfast then Herb, lunch, Transfig and Comc today.”

“Same except for Arithmancy instead of Runes.” Cedric said.

Tonks made a face, “Yuck- I got Potions first thing.”

The other mentors came over, one with a first year schedule, and they hashed out who was doing what- he and Cedric were only taking the first years to Transfiguration (after breakfast), Tonks managed to snag escort to Herbology but Leon didn’t keep track of anything beyond that.

“Firsties!” Leon called when he stood with Cedric. “Head to the doors!” With that, he went towards the Great Hall’s doors and waited, he gave it five minutes before he addressed the crowd of first years. “I’m Leon and this is Cedric, we’ll be your guides for you first day to  Transfig- be warned that wandering from the group will mean you have to find your own way to class, we also got classes to get to. There’s no reason to wander, you can do that all you wish on the weekend. Now! Let’s make sure everyone’s here! Girls: Abbot, Bones, Granger, Jones, Moon and Perks!”

They waited for the various ‘heres’ before Cedric continued with, “Boys: Finch-Fletchley, Hopkins, Longbottom, Macmillan, Potter and Smith?”

Six different ‘heres’ though Neville’s was almost inaudible.

“Also you’re only getting a guide for you first class of each subject- you can still ask any Hufflepuffin to help you if you get lost just you won’t have a full on escort.” Leon clapped his hands, “Now! Onwards to Education!”

After the first years were safely handed over to McGonagall, he turned to his friend. “ _ Never again. _ ”

“I think you did good.” Cedric said, amused. “You might even have a career as a Tour Guide. Maybe you can do school field trips.”

Leon stopped, “Cedric! Not to you- look into Hogwarts field trips. Also, we got five minutes to get to class and yours is on the other side of the school- good luck!” He called as he took off at a run.

.

* * *

.

> **Omake**

“Thank you for your favorites, follows, subscriptions, kudos and bookmarks but, most of all, I thank you for your reviews. They’re always awesome to read and now with the responses,” Leon said. "We'll start with  _ FFN _ ! To  **BlueMew24** I wish to say that I'm glad you like this story and find it amusing, I would like to say you are awesome and deserve your weight in chocolate for agreeing that Tortall is an amazing 'verse- unless, of course, you don't like chocolate in which place I would like to ask WHY!?" 

He coughed then looked back at his list. "To  **Sindhuja** , I thank you for thinking it was cool and add that the title is a good response on this story's continuation.” 

“To  **DragonNOOB** \- love the name by the way- I say thank you for thinking it's excellent and we'll try our best to keep it improving.” He said.

“And, finally, to  **Sea of Vinegar** I say yes, yes the ring is awesome though it's now officially called the  _ Court of Clams _ . You are welcome with the sharing and I'm glad you liked it, also you should definitely check out  _ Song of the Lioness _ \- it may not be my favorite of the Tortall Universe but it is the first books written of that 'verse so it's a good place to start." Leon finished.

Leon took a deep breath then continued, “Now to _ AO3 _ ! To **treavellergirl** I say that I'm glad you enjoyed but have no idea where you got the idea that I am reforming Hogwarts- also any insinuations on a Hufflepuff Army are ridiculous and no, this is  _ not _ a Suspiciously Specific Denial." Leon blinks innocently. "I would also like to thank you for your input, I had been focusing on only the Muggle side of things but now I see that I was just limiting the Court of Clams- I will bring up during the Meeting of Clams so keep an eye out for your shout out. Last thing I say to you is this..." He cleared his throat then said. "What do you mean poor Cedric? He's the one who doesn't think Song of the Lioness is a classic! And he defiled the Trust for a stick! Sure it flies but it's still a stick!...oh. Well, I suppose I can be a handful- erm, ignore the previous bit on sticks."

"To  **MaryDBlack** , I graciously accept your love and send some back- we Blacks are irresistible, hm? I assure you that my father is infact Regulus and not Sirius-as-Regulus but cannot comment beyond the hows and whys I was conceived by a teenager- well, a pair of teenagers since mom was 17 at the time she was pregnant. I'm glad the platform stuff makes sense, for all I enjoy a good Manipulative!Dumbledore and the like story, I really do like stories with good Weasleys the best. I add that I'm am in no way manipulating Harry and if I was it would only be for his own good- like not charging off to fight a troll without at least telling a prefect." Leon pinched the bridge of his nose, "Oy, that boy is going to give me trouble these coming years, huh?"

"Finally to  **Jaybird** I say that I'm proud you wished some of this- or ideas at least- was part of canon and agree that it'd help. If not this system then at least a student orientation- even if only by House- or at least a pamphlet." Leon said. "I want to point out though that Canon is told by Harry who isn't always are reliable narrator, case in point Snape, and is a Gryffindor who might see figuring this out on your own as a Right of Passage."

"Now, to everyone reading I want to-" He started.

Cedric leaned forwards, peering in the same direction he was. "What are you looking at- it's just a wall there? And who were you talking to about Gryffindors?"

"Gotta go!" Leon said before darting off.

Cedric chased him, "Where are you going!? We have Transfiguration to go to!"

Leon popped up after the pureblood was out of earshot, finger to his lips. "Our secret, yeah? Last thing-  _ nox _ !"

The world went dark.


	4. Meeting: In Which Clams Hold Court

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was a lot of hype about The Talk, about how mortifying and embarrassing it is- how people wished for brain bleach after. But this? This wasn’t like that. Oh, sure it was awkward and there were some blushes along with averted eyes but it was too straight forward to live up the infamy of The Talk.
> 
> Honestly, he was a bit disappointed though magical contraceptives (made by a group of Ravenclaws in the late 1800s as a Charms project) were interesting as was the way to prevent STDs (though condoms were still used more often because the thought of going to Snape- since the Hospital Wing doesn’t keep it in stock- to ask for such a potion or it’s recipe was horrifying to the general populus).
> 
> It was all very... _ vanilla _ and conservative- it made him wonder if wizards had discovered porn.
> 
> _ Hmm. _ Leon raised his hand. “What about kinks?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternately: In Which Leon Talks A Lot

_ Oh,  _ Leon blinked from where he sat in the crowd of third years.  _ So that’s why we were told to come. Huh. _

Confession: Leon had never had The Talk before in any of his lives- this one he’d only turned thirteen, his first life he’d found out on his own when looking up words he’d heard that he didn’t know and Hinata Hana’s parents had been in denial of her going through puberty.

There was a lot of hype about The Talk, about how mortifying and embarrassing it is- how people wished for brain bleach after. But this? This wasn’t like that. Oh, sure it was awkward and there were some blushes along with averted eyes but it was too straight forward to live up the infamy of The Talk.

Honestly, he was a bit disappointed though magical contraceptives (made by a group of Ravenclaws in the late 1800s as a Charms project) were interesting as was the way to prevent STDs (though condoms were still used more often because the thought of going to Snape- since the Hospital Wing doesn’t keep it in stock- to ask for such a potion or it’s recipe was horrifying to the general populus).

It was all very... _ vanilla _ and conservative- it made him wonder if wizards had discovered porn.

_ Hmm. _ Leon raised his hand. “What about kinks?”

“Kinks?” Alfred the Head Boy stalled, blinking.

Really, the world was lucky that Hufflepuffs, as a whole, were pretty much good folk if even a Seventh Year could somehow still look as innocent and harmless as a First Year- it’d be so  _ easy _ to stage a coup since no one would expect it of  _ Hufflepuffs _ of all people.

He nodded, “Well, we have a lot of magic that can do interesting things like- someone with a Daddy Kink can have their partner drink an aging potion, those curious enough could try the gender swap curse, those into BDSM can use things like the various binding spells and stinging hexes- or even minor cutting curses I suppose. Furries can transfigure themselves into kemonomimi or using an animal hair for a polyjuice po-”

A hand covered his mouth and Cedric, red faced, said. “I think we’re done.”

“ _ Yes _ .” Mary the Prefect said with vehemence. “ _ Dismissed _ .”

_ That’s better _ . Leon thought as his friend dragged him to their dorm though he protested once he was let go. “But I wasn’t finished!”

“Are you  _ actually _ interested in doing those things?” his friend demanded.

“Not really,” He admitted because he was fine with porn but actually doing it with  _ someone _ made him uncomfortable. “Doesn’t mean I’m not interested in learning about it.” His Bag of Books was tossed at him and, before the other could speak, he said, “Note to Cedric: Make a Bag of Holding and/or Hammer Space.”

“Does  _ anything _ you say make sense?” Cedric demanded even as dutifully wrote it down in his handy-dandy notebook.

Leon shrugged taking out one of the newer books, “It makes sense to those whom understand the sense it makes.”

“So only to you.” the pureblood deadpanned, changing into night clothes.

Which was a good idea but- well, it was warm enough to sleep in his underwear. “Maybe. Now, shush- I’m reading.”

**_Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun…_ **

It was like one moment Leon was reading and the next he was woken by his alarm (a crowing rooster) he shared with his friend, he’d have called foul play if he did still hold his book ( _ The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy _ by Douglas Adams) even if it was close. “Note to Cedric: Pocket Monsters.”

“Fffgnykk.” Cedric told him, both of them grabbing their things- he thought it might have meant to be ‘fuck you’ but as he wasn’t certain he ignored it.

This time Harry was pushed out of bed- in a rather spectacular flail of limbs- and Neville’s blankets poked him repeatedly but the other first year boys were left to their sleep- though Leon saw a sixth year heading over when they left to bathe. Bathing went better this time, partly because the first years didn’t look bellow shoulder height and partly because the third years immediately put on towels.

Alfred, who wouldn’t look at him (which was ridiculous, it wasn’t as if Leon had said anything  _ explicit _ ), immediately launched into a story. "In 1926, Newt Scamander went to New York City in the United States, with him he had a case full of magical creature- those creatures escaped..."

It was a good story and made him wish he’d met Newt- it was something he thought about while tackling another round of percentages (‘What is 32.7% of 18?’ Just-  _ WHY!? _ ) that still took him an hour.

Leon really hated pre-algebra.

* * *

“We need a new meeting place.” Tonks, whom had claimed Cedric’s bed with Hermione, said. Mike and Sam, who were forced onto the floor when Scott offered to let the two first year boys to sit on his bed with him (their roommates let them use their dorm as a meeting place under the agreement that no one messed with their stuff which included using their beds as seats), nodded.

“With that, I call the Meeting of Clams officially started!” Leon said from his own bed. “Our scribe has transferred his duty to Hermione, who I’m sure will be more then up to the challenge. To make sure we’re all one the same page, our newest minions are First Years Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom and Harry Potter. Our veteran minions are Second Years Mike Summers and Sam Summerby and Third Year Scott Stebbins. Minion Nymphadora Tonks has been promoted to Dragon status in return for a long-term favor. Cedric Diggory, as always, is the Right Hand and if you don’t know me by now I question why you’re here. We are, officially, the Court of Clams. Questions?”

“Why Court of Clams?” Scott questioned, sounding confused and just this side of whining. “Why clams at all?”

Leon clapped his hands. “Good! No questions! First order of business- the new books. _Howl’s Moving Castle_ and _Castle in the Air_ by Diana Wynne Jones, _The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy_ by Douglas Adams along with _Good Omens_ by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman won’t be much trouble to add on. _Jurassic Park_ by Michael Crichton, _I Am Legend_ by Richard Matheson, _The War of the World_ by H.G. Wells and both _The Long Walk_ and _The Running_ _Man_ by Richard Bachman may be tricky with all the death however.”

“The most troubling book I believe are  _ The Diary of a Young Girl _ by Anne Frank,  _ Lord of the Flies _ by William Golding,  _ Brave New World  _ by Aldous Huxley,  _ Red Dragon  _ by Thomas Harris and  _ The Death of the Grass  _ by John Christopher.” Leon said. “Frank’s book takes place during WWII, Golding’s is about human nature in the absence of society, Huxley’s is about wide-spread brainwashing by the government, Harris’ is about a serial killer and Christopher’s is a post-apocalyptic science fiction.”

At the looks he said, “I was going to restrict first and second years from reading those- first years won’t be able to read anything beyond Jones’ books though they are still allowed to read books from previous years but I’m not censoring the books past that.”

Voldemort’s return put them in mind but he had to admit that he really did like reading books like that- it was a shame that books like  _ Life As We Knew It _ ,  _ Tomorrow When the War Began _ ,  _ The City of Ember _ and  _ Uglies _ weren’t written yet. Leon really wanted to know what Hogwarts would make of  _ Divergent _ .

He missed the 2000s and 2010s.

“Fine.” Tonks said. “But I want those last five books restricted to fifth years and up- they’re yours so  _ you _ can still read them and, since you’ll likely force him into it, so can Cedric- while  _ Jurassic Park _ to  _ The Running Man _ is restricted to third years and up. Anyone whom wants to read books restricted to them will need written or verbal permission from a guardian.”

“I’m going to read some to Harry.” Leon told her then Harry, “Mentors are considered guardians in a way since we’re responsible for our cubs though our Head of House is still  _ in loco parentis _ \- which is why she is called variations of Den Mother- so I suppose the best comparison is a mix of older sibling and babysitter.”

Cedric gave Neville a shrug and Tonks told Hermione, “You’re not reading them until  _ I _ do and decide what you can or cannot. Next?”

"We've been giving ourselves tunnel vision focusing on one point so I think we need to expand-” Leon started. “There are multiple ideas but I'll start with this; a series of books that describe both individually and comparatively Muggle and Magical culture which would include traditions, holidays, fashion, entertainment, jobs, education and home life- including things found in either homes and how housework is done- but more can be added. It can be broken into Muggle, Magical and Halfa (for comparisons and how a part-magical, part-muggle parentage effects things) series then down into individual books by the topic. A kind of what's what guide of both worlds and that narrow path connecting them."

Scott blinked, "Okay. Where the heck did that come from?"

"Got the idea from a treavellergirl." He said

Cedric frowned, "Don't you mean traveler girl?"

"I've heard it both ways." Leon shrugged then said. “Anyways. I want to do some preliminary testing on how this will be received using the first years- maybe those of other Houses to give us a better idea- so we’re each going write a short  _ something _ about a topic, no more then...Hm...no more then 10,000 words. Scott, Sam and Shiftpaw will be doing Halfa- Scott gets how being a Half-blood effected what kind of entertainment he partakes in, like do you play Quidditch  _ and _ Football or is it only one? Sam has home life, how are chores done when one of your parents has magic? Shiftpaw has holidays, how did your muggle-born father affect how and what you celebrate?”

He focused on Mike, who was in front of him, though he looked at both Neville and Cedric. “Cedric, Neville and Mike have Magical- Cedric gets traditions and Neville has education, who taught you before Hogwarts, while Mike will do common possessions a wizard/witch owns. Harry, Hermione and I will be doing the Muggle side of things- Harry does education, what was school like compared to Hogwarts? More teachers or less, how were classes and schedules, what was considered the core subjects? Hermione will be doing stores, what kind of shops are there that you’ve been to? What do they sell? How much was it? How much is that in Wizarding Currency? Finally I will be focusing on muggle food.”

Only Hermione seemed excited about this but everyone was at least interested enough to try their hands at writing so he only said, “Your individual groups will proofread each other's writings.” Then moved on. “Next things, I want to get a range of textbooks- since we’re going off forwarded lesson plans and worksheets along with a tutor- and a college course book to see if we can entice more people into muggle education. This won’t be done this year as I think it would be best to implement it at the start of the year, plus it’d be easiest to get them during the back to school preparation times. Speaking of- Swiftpaw I know you're graduating this year but you are to attend mandatory Meeting of Clams during the summer that will be taking place at my house, details on when will be determined later.”

“Now. Extra curricular activities.” Leon said wishing for some water, the meetings never went this long- the previous longest had been twenty minutes and that had been because Tonks didn’t know which dorm was theirs. “Hermione will be asking her mom to send plays, we’re expecting five different Shakespearean plays so I’m sure we can convince people to do a production of at least  _ one _ but we will be performing skits to introduce the idea. Each member will be writing their own short skit- from five to ten minutes in length- to give a wider range of styles and genres, I don’t care what you choose to write of- the only restrictions are it is to be in that length of time and you can only ask members to act it out. I ask you be creative though, we have  _ magic _ so why not use it to make it spectacular?”

“In that vein, I want to bring in instruments. Specifically flutes, harmonica, ocarina, trumpet, clarinet, saxophones, guitars, lutes, violins and cellos- more will be added as required. I'll also be petitioning to the Headmaster that we get pianos- Note to Cedric, 'Konohagakure'- but that will be later once things are settled. I think the best way is to get an expanded trunk and bring them back over the holidays.” Leon told them, finally giving into the temptation to rest his chin on laced fingers. “I sent a letter to my mom and she said that The Trust has enough to pay for them though it will make a dent- for two of each instrument barring the harmonica that comes in a set of seven, it adds up to 413 Galleons, 15 Sickles and 22 Knuts. Which leaves the Treasury at 450 Galleons and 2 Knuts. Hermione will be in charge of getting music sheets to go with the instruments- you’ll have a budget of 35 Galleons.”

“In a similar direction, I want art supplies- paints, crayons, markers, charcoal, pencils and colored pencils along with various mediums to use them on. For this I think it might be best to simply buy the supplies in bulk and sell  _ them _ rather then the standard duplicate it styled renting, this means that it will go like with the instruments in getting them here- though I’ll have a few sets sent over before to see if this is something people are interested in. By Easter, let's say if there  _ is _ enough interest in art, I want to see if we can’t draft a few people into making coloring books and doujinshi.” He said. “Think comic books that can be either an original work or based off other works or even real people.”

_ I am going introduce Hogwarts to fanfiction, _ Leon thought,  _ no matter what. _

“I’ll be bringing up sculpting, carving, knitting, sewing and weaving when me and Cedric report to The Four.” Leon told them. “Finally, I want to introduce Physical Education- I want to at least get people moving so in that way we’ll start with variations of tag and relay races- Note to Cedric, ‘Paintball/Water Fight’- along with water sports. For things needing equipment I was thinking badminton, tennis, football, volleyball, baseball, dodgeball, handball, field hockey- Note to Cedric, ‘Vending Machines’- and flying disks. I’ll be talking to the Denma about getting a rock climbing wall and setting an area for tree climbing along with the possibilities of escorted hikes through the Forbidden Forest. Note to Cedric, ‘Victory Garden and Farmer's Market’.”

“And…” Leon paused then said. “I think that’s it. I reiterate that everyone is to write a skit and a 10,000 word bit about your assigned topic- I add that first draft for you topics are due by Halloween and will be proofread then. I want the skits done before Halloween, preferable before the end of September because I want to start putting on the skits some time late September and early October. Hermione, I want a copy of your notes- by lunch tomorrow so Cedric and I can work out our report- but beyond that you are in charge of keeping them for any of the group whom wants to go over them.”

“You forgot the order form.” Cedric said before he could dismiss them.

“Oh. Right. I want to do an order form- pamphlet? booklet?- on what we offer and their prices.” Leon waited a beat to see if Cedric was going to say anything else before saying, “Alright. Dismissed.”

Leon, who had flopped back onto his bed as soon as Cedric got up, sprang into a sitting position. “Last thing! Note to Cedric, ‘Flash Mob’.”

.

* * *

.

> **Omake:**

“Hello again!” Leon grinned, “Sorry, no review responses this time- I’ll be doing them every other chapter so if you want to talk to  _ me _ then write a review this time and I’ll answer you in the next chapter! Hey,  **treavellergirl** did you see you shout out? Anyways! What am I doing here if not answering reviews? I am going to answer a few things. Random Question 1:  _ If you knew you could succeed at it, what would you try? _ ”

He let the question settle before answering, “Become an animagus that shifts into a  _ dragon _ because that would be freakin’  _ awesome _ \- especially if I could turn into Toothless! Or defeat Voldemort with a marshmallow army- they’d be like ‘mallow snowmen! Now, Would You Rather 1:  _ Would you rather be a vegetarian or only be able to eat meat? _ ”

“Meat definitely.” Leon said immediately. “I like animals, more then people generally, and I’ll eat tofu in soups but I  _ love _ meat. From meatballs, pork chops, steak, the chicken in Alfredo and in Chinese take-out. I especially love fried chicken strips, nuggets or fingers- I’ll eat those like chips or popcorn and that’ll be all I eat that day. My favorite is ribs though- there’s just something about tearing meat from the bone with your teeth and gnawing on the bones after. But, maybe that’s just me. Random Question 2:  _ If you could acquire any skill, what would you choose? _ ”

He let out a whoosh of air. “Wow. Huh. It depends I guess. A muggle skill I’d want would be to know how to play the violin well- it’s my favorite instrument along with the cello (shameless advertisement: check out 2Cellos). Magical skill would be to be a metamorphmagus. A game skill would be Quests. A ninja skill would be Summoning. A- well, see what I mean by it depending? Would You Rather 2:  _ Would you rather be a girl? _ ”

“Huh. Well, in my previous life I was a girl.” Leon answered. “And it was fine- I do like being a boy this time though, if only because I won’t have to deal with a period, getting pregnant or giving birth. Also I can go shirtless when it’s hot and  _ not _ get those scandalized looks if I’m not wearing a bathing suit top. Random Question 3:  _ What was your favorite cartoon? _ ”

“It also depends.” He shrugged. “But I have to choose then it’s a tie between Looney Toons and Animaniacs. Would You Rather 3:  _ Would you rather be stuck in an elevator or ski lift for five hours? _ ”

Leon paused. “I don’t know- elevators freak me out but I’m afraid of heights (yes, flying lessons was interesting). I guess I would choose the ski lift since you can still see the sky, plus I’ve been forced to deal with my fear of heights before- tree climbing, rock climbing, amusement rides and now flying. It’s fine if I’m  _ doing  _ something but things like rollercoasters are the worst. Last set! Random Question 4:  _ What is something that you've never done but would like to try? _ ”

“Backpacking.” He said immediately. “I actually plan to do that when I graduate from Hogwarts- I’ll be dragging Cedric (because is  _ living _ if I have to drug him the entire time names can be put into the Goblet of Fire) along with me, though Scott declined tagging along. We’re already planning on it and have, though a combination of our cut from the Court of Clams, allowances and birthday/Christmas money, saved 297 Galleons, 15 Sickles and 15 Knuts- which is 3,000 dollars or 2,198.60 euros. We’re still debating where to go beyond visit the out of country Weasleys- also, I demanded we get a Canine Companion for our journey.”

“Finally, Would You Rather 4:  _ Would you rather celebrate your birthday or Christmas? _ ” Leon hummed. “Hm. Well, beyond eating my favorite things, I don’t really have big parties for my birthday- I usually go bowling, to a fair or have a movie marathon at home. So, Christmas I guess? It used to be small as it was just me and mum but since Hogwarts it’s grown into a pretty big deal- it’s like a full on festival at the Diggorys’.”

“That’s all folks!” Leon said. “Remember if you want to talk to me just write a review and I’ll respond next chapter. ‘Till next time!  _ Nox! _ ”

The world went dark.


End file.
